What is World Maritime Day?
Every year the International Maritime Organization (IMO) observes World Maritime Day. The exact date is left for individual governments todecide but is normally celebrated during the last week of September. The day is considered to focus emphasize on the importance of shipping safety, maritime security and the marine environment and to devote on a particular aspect of IMO's work.

World Maritime Day and its Goal
World Maritime Day 2009 has been celebrated on Thursday, 24 September at the IMO's headquarters in London, England. World Maritime Day 2009 theme"Climate change: a challenge for IMO too!" The US Parallel Event was held on October 16-18, n New York City in the same year. Different other ports throughout the US conducted simultaneous events in their respective locations. The goal of World Maritime Day is to attract public, private, andgovernment bodies to the many environmental concernswithin the maritime community to reduce the effects of climate change worldwide

How People Celebrate?
World Maritime Day emphasize on the significanceof safe shipping, marine environment and maritime security along with a particular aspect of IMO's work. The day also flashes aspecial message from the IMO’s secretary-general, which is consolidated by a discussion paper on the selected subject in explanatory manner.
World Maritime Day is celebrated in various countries around the world, including Australia, the UnitedKingdom, Canada, and the United States. Many maritime organizations and institutionsconduct special activities andevents to celebrate this special day. These activities and events vary from luncheons to symposiums, including school lessons that focus on the day. Some classes also organize a trip to a maritime museum so that students may know the significance of the maritime industry in shipping world history as well as its significance in world trade.

Background
It has been considered by the people that international regulations that are followed by many countries worldwide,could improve marine safety, hence many treaties have been signed and adopted since the 19th century. Various countries endorsed for a permanent internationalbody to be floated to advocate maritime safety more effectively but it was not until the UN was established that these concepts were realized. An international conference in Geneva in the year 1948 established the IMO, a specialized UN agency that promotes and manages a huge regulatory framework for shipping.
The IMO’s earlier name was the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) but it gota facelift in 1982 and was renamed to IMO. The IMO emphasizes on areas such as safety,environmental concerns, technical co-operation, legal matters, maritime security and the proficiency ofshipping.
World Maritime Day was first observed on March 17, 1978 to represent the date of the IMO Convention’s entry into force in the year 1958. At that time, there were 21 member states in the organization. Now it has reached a count of 167 member states and three associate members. This membership includes all the countries of the world with a concern in maritime affairs, along with those engaged in the shipping industry and coastal states with a concernto protect their maritime environment.

The Threats!
Keeping in view the of late suspicious anti-social activities registered across the ocean, it becomes yet more imperative and significant to pay genuine heed, take stringent action and implement stern laws to safeguard our one of the most precious natural belongings gifted to mankind by the almighty.